I will be honest, I’ve been watching more movies than reading books and I know I promised I would do more book reviews but I’ve been feeling very unmotivated to read as of late. I’ll make this more organized than my last movie review which was on Hungry Hearts, an indie film starring Adam Driver. Wow, I haven’t done a movie review in a long time. Here we go.

Backstory: So I stumbled across this film unexpectedly when one night I asked my dad how work was. He works in a dry cleaner and described how a customer of his mentioned the movie Lion while they were talking and he described the plot to my father and now here my dad was asking me if I had heard of it. As the indie film lover that I am (although Lion had appeared in theaters), I had, and instantly got excited. I had only watched the trailer at that point and was so intrigued by this story that I wasn’t able to get it out of my mind. Anyways, that night, my dad and I began to watch Lion and I will continue this backstory later in the analysis part.

Summary: Lion tells the true story of a five-year-old boy named Saroo who gets lost on a train in India when his brother goes to consult about a job. Saroo stays behind and falls asleep. When he wakes up, his brother is gone and he wanders onto a train to search for him and falls asleep. When he wakes, he finds the train moving which takes him thousands of miles away from his home across India. He is later labeled as a missing child and is eventually adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty-five years later, Saroo, played by Dev Patel, is determined to find his home again with the support of his parents, technology (more specifically Google Earth), and his precious memories.

Analysis: This movie was one of the most heart-wrenching movies I have seen for a long time and is now in my favorite movies list. I have never experienced a movie where I had been crying throughout the entire film until now. Now, this is more for personal reasons, not because every second of the film is a waterworks display. The actor who plays the five-year-old Saroo, Sunny Pawar, is absolutely adorable and even without showing much emotion, the story revolving around him makes the whole film heart-wrenching. The film interweaves Saroo’s memories back in India with the present and whether he is in a good or bad situation, it just squeezes your heart to reminisce about home and where you belonged to as a child. The music just adds to the emotional ride you go on and I got even more excited when the opening credits said that Dustin O’Halloran did the music and I could hear it as soon as it started. I have to say that Dev Patel rocked an Australian accent as far as I could tell. I’ve always said that Australian accents are like the weird cousin of British accents and how they just go another way that you would expect from a British accent but I quickly learned after watching this movie that it was just another accent that I had fallen in love with. Anyways, Patel does a phenomenal job portraying Saroo as a man now struggling with the decision to find his home when he already has a loving home. We see Saroo struggle to tell his parents (played by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham) of what he is working on and push away his then girlfriend, played by Rooney Mara. It’s interesting to see Saroo function in his immediate circle of family during the day and then have memories of his past haunt him before going to sleep. And when he’s not with his family, he’s with his girlfriend, Lucy, trying to explain what it’s like in his head. Speaking of his girlfriend, there are no sex scenes in this film yet this film has produced some of the most intimate scenes between romantic partners that I have ever seen, for example, there is a scene that is silent as they look into each other’s eyes while underneath the covers. It’s funny how most of the time, sex isn’t the most intimate thing you can do with a person and this movie is a testament of that. For me, it was something that popped out to me as I was watching this because already it’s an emotional journey for Saroo and for him to find comfort in the arms of someone whom maybe doesn’t quite understand what he’s going through but is there for him. His parents also provided such a caring and loving environment as they provided for Saroo a life that was so starkly different from the poor, poverty-stricken life he experienced with his actual family. You see the life he could’ve left behind and forgotten and the movie also highlights Saroo’s actual mother and brother and their close relationship which really just makes the waterworks appear and I think you can even tell this in the trailer that I will post below.

Rating: 10/10. I was crying from beginning to end and it really is a story that you think about after watching it. Saroo went on an unforgettable journey. I liked it so much I’m reading the book, written by the actual Saroo Brierley, currently so be on the lookout for a book review on Lion. Thanks for reading all my thoughts on this film. I will do more film reviews soon!

]]>https://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/2017/06/10/lion-2016-movie-review/feed/024lion-1sakura1134Book Review – Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Sáenzhttps://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/book-review-last-night-i-sang-to-the-monster-by-benjamin-saenz/
https://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/book-review-last-night-i-sang-to-the-monster-by-benjamin-saenz/#respondSat, 06 May 2017 06:08:48 +0000http://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/?p=1580More Book Review – Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Sáenz]]>Hello everyone,

This will be my last book review for this project! But don’t worry, I will be doing more reading over the summer and will update this list! Here we go!

At 18, Zach finds himself in a therapeutic residential program as both an alcoholic and a post-traumatic-stress patient but he doesn’t remember how he got there. Or if he wants to remember. He is guided along the way by a sympathetic and wise therapist, a middle-aged roommate whose own recovery is on an arc ahead of his, and several other interesting minor characters. They are a community: addicts who gather for cigarettes, nightmares, group sessions, and breathing therapy. Now if only Zach can find out how he even got here. But with all these people around him, Zach begins to confront his past and figures out why he ended up here.

So one of the biggest issues you might have with this novel but it is also one of it’s best qualities (so depends on how you look at it) is that Zach is often a bit inarticulate. He uses what I like to call “thought phrases” so, for example, he’ll say things that might confuse people like: “The heart can get really cold if all you’ve known is winter.” or “I have it in my head that when we’re born, God writes things down on our hearts. See, on some people’s hearts he writes Happy and on some people’s hearts he writes Sad and on some people’s hearts he writes Crazy on some people’s hearts he writes Genius and on some people’s hearts he writes Angry and on some people’s hearts he writes Winner and on some people’s hearts he writes Loser.” That was a pretty long example but Zach often writes or thinks like this so if this is annoying to you or confusing (which is completely understandable), I’d advise you not to read this book. For those of you who are fine with this, please continue on. Sáenz has a unique gift in writing poetry as prose. Each page is written so deliberately to capture Zach’s emotions and thoughts and just wandering in his head is both fascinating and mysterious. He uses a lot of metaphors to articulate Zach’s thoughts and this may be confusing for some people but that’s just the way some people think and how things make sense to them. I’ll be honest, this book is very sad but it does have a hopeful message. It’s really about the musings of someone who is struggling with alcoholism and PTSD and depression. It’s not the easiest thing to read as is most books regarding mental illness but it’s important. I think that’s why most of the books I chose to read were about mental illness because it’s something that I struggled with and relate to very much. I have never struggled with alcoholism or PTSD but a lot of what Zach was saying was relatable and it was hard to read at times because of this. I think a lot of the reason why we look for books about mental illness is because we’re trying to figure out our cases as well. And in books in general, we look for characters and situations that we relate to because maybe if we find a character that we relate to and see them find hope in their situation, we might be able to as well. So I would like to extend to you all, if you are reading this, that there is always hope, no matter what you are going through. And life is hard but things get better and you are not alone.

Teaching Ideas:

I think I would teach this to a class. Definitely, a large part of dissecting this novel would be spent in deciphering Zach’s metaphors because at times, they do tend to get a little complicated and it’s more like his thoughts are drifting. I think it would be interesting to see how students would represent these metaphors. Like if they were to pick one and represent it, either through film, art, poetry, etc. how they would symbolize certain things and represent the overall meaning of the metaphor. I would like to see students play around with this idea.

Rating: 8/10

I hope you all enjoyed my book reviews for this assignment! As I said before, this is not the last of my book reviews for this blog, there will be many many more as I am trying to get more into reading. Although this was more of YA literature, I am open to other book recommendations, YA lit or not, so please recommend some books in the comments below and I will be sure to check them out! I will be making a blog post of my all-time favorite books (those that are 10/10) which are difficult to rate on my book rating scale (for those of you who have been following my journey, I have not given a book 10/10), so be on the look-out for that! Lastly, I would like to thank you all who have viewed/liked my book reviews, thank you so very much for even viewing my nonsensical rambles about random books. Thank you all and I will try to make more posts as the summer begins!

Welcome to another book review. So some of you might have seen this movie that stars Keira Knightley, Andrew Garfield, and Carey Mulligan. If you haven’t, I suggest you do but just a precaution, it’s pretty sad and sick when you think about it. That being said here we go!

All children should believe they are special. But the students of Hailsham, an elite school in the English countryside, are so special that visitors shun them and only by rumor and the occasional fleeting remark by a teacher do they discover their unconventional origins and their strange destinies. As children, Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy were students at Hailsham, an exclusive boarding school secluded in the English countryside. It was a place of cliques and mysterious rules where teachers were constantly reminding their students of how special they were. Now, years later, Kathy is a young woman. Ruth and Tommy have reentered her life, and for the first time she is beginning to look back at their shared past and understand just what it is that makes them special—and how that gift will shape the rest of their time together.

Now, right from the beginning of the novel, you are introduced to what their “gifts” are. As you hear Kathy’s experience now as a carer, you realize that Hailsham was a very unique school that operated under strict and unethical circumstances. I really don’t want to spoil anything because there is a rather dark and unpleasant revelation in this novel so that is all I will give away. Ishiguro is a hauntingly beautiful, somber writer. He is able to twist words into the most beautiful phrases and I am left in awe. Especially after watching the movie, I was excited to read this book and I was not disappointed. There are so many emotions that you as a reader you feel while reading this book; it goes more into depth, obviously, about their “gift” and their destinies but it makes you wonder what if our world was like this. This book is of the dystopian genre but it’s not that stereotypical apocalyptic novel, instead it evaluates the futility of human lives. There’s betrayal, romance, and heart-wrenching revelations. The mystery of their gifts is hidden until it no longer matters and Ishiguro holds the reader’s interest long enough to impact the reader with the revelation of what it means to live especially with Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy’s experience with Hailsham.

Teaching Ideas:

I’m not sure I would teach this to students because honestly, it might mess them up. I would trust the input of a junior or senior in high school to read this novel. It would be interesting to read a research paper analyzing Hailsham’s tactics and what the overall message of this book would be and how our society reflects certain aspects of Hailsham. I would then have them analyze the structure of this novel and how Ishiguro introduces each character and the role they play in this novel.

Rating: 9/10

I hope you all enjoyed this book review! The last (but not really last) book review will be on…. Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Sàenz.

]]>https://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/book-review-never-let-me-go-by-kazuo-ishiguro/feed/0ishiguro-never-let-me-gosakura1134Book Review – Death of a Superhero by Anthony McCartenhttps://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/book-review-death-of-a-superhero-by-anthony-mccarten/
https://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/book-review-death-of-a-superhero-by-anthony-mccarten/#respondSat, 06 May 2017 03:15:41 +0000http://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/?p=1478More Book Review – Death of a Superhero by Anthony McCarten]]>Hello everyone,

We’re not done, only three more! So I found out about this book by the movie, like Fierce People and I come back to this movie from time to time just because Thomas Sangster’s acting is astonishing and this was where I found the sibling duo band, Angus & Julia Stone. Anyways, here we go!

Death of a Superhero tells the story of a troubled teen named Donald Delpe. Not only is he your average sex-crazed, music junkie, and the occasional druggie, he has a life-threatening form of leukemia. And before you turn away from this post as you go comparing it to The Fault in Our Stars and every other “teen-dying-of-cancer” YA novel, give this one a chance. Donald has given up on himself and knows he is going to die from this illness but he finds himself in his alter-ego, a superhero he’s created who goes by the name of MiracleMan who’s superpower is indestructibility. Donald struggles with suicidal tendencies but finds comfort in comics and his own comic he’s created that stars MiracleMan. His parents who are obviously worried about him assign him to a psychiatrist named Dr. Adrian King, who Donald uses to lash out all his anger against but King understands him and takes it all. They end up developing a mutual understanding as King explores his own past issues and eventually agrees to help Donald with his last wish, which you will find out when you read the book (thought I’d spoil it, did you?).

So as expected, this book will hit you with feels. It’s basically how you think it ends but the journey is worth it and getting to know Donald is worth the time to read this. But what’s cool is that this book is written like a screenplay for a film. Yup, you heard me. Like a screenplay and as a screenwriter, this was an adventure that I just had to explore. It’s split into three acts but it’s written like a screenplay, a comic, and a novel. I know, it sounds confusing but you quickly get the hang of it. Since Donald is a fan of comics, you see little things that resemble a comic. Donald is your average sassy, sarcastic, dying teenager but in the end, if you were that age (or if you are) imagine what it would be like. To have your life cut so short in front of you, it’s really not fair and I don’t know about you but I would be angry too. Angry at everyone, angry at myself for not living to the fullest in the past, and most of all, scared. And that’s how Donald is so I don’t want you guys to just disregard this book because it hits on one of the biggest tropes of YA literature in this decade. It looks at leukemia and gives it a big middle finger and Donald’s final wish is certainly not something that A Fault in Our Stars ends with. It gives an honest look at a teenager who is dying and who’s life is incomplete.

Teaching Ideas:

I’m going to be honest with you guys. If I found this book in a school library I would be very surprised. It’s possible some schools might have banned this from their libraries. So this book would definitely be an individual reading book because it deals with “inappropriate” themes, so if a student wanted to do a project on this book, I’d probably just check with their parents if this book would be okay but I mean, if A Catcher in the Rye could get away with all of that, I’m sure this book can too. I think for this book, character analyzation is important (as it always is for me) and the overall theme for this book. I think there are multiple themes and messages that McCarten wants his readers to think about. One of them being, what is meaning of true happiness when you have such little time to pursue it? And I think teenagers, healthy or sick, can relate a lot to Donald and his troubles as McCarten doesn’t shy away from such normal teenage topics.

Rating: 8.5/10

I hope you all enjoyed this book review! Next book will be on…. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, another tearjerker, yay!

]]>https://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/book-review-death-of-a-superhero-by-anthony-mccarten/feed/051gjxch20bl-sx316sakura1134Book Review – The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimanhttps://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/book-review-the-graveyard-book-by-neil-gaiman/
https://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/2017/05/06/book-review-the-graveyard-book-by-neil-gaiman/#commentsSat, 06 May 2017 02:22:26 +0000http://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/?p=1431More Book Review – The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman]]>Hello everyone,

The Graveyard Book tells the story of a boy named Nobody Owens, or Bod, who is raised in a graveyard by ghosts. After the grisly murder of his entire family, he wanders into a graveyard where the ghosts and other supernatural residents agree to raise him as one of their own. Other than that, Bod is a normal boy. Or at least, he would be completely normal if he didn’t live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. And in this graveyard, there are dangers and adventures for Bod. If Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from a man named Jack—who killed Bod’s family.

So this was my first Neil Gaiman novel (I know, for those of you who are die-hard fans, I’m sorry) but I’m very glad it was. For years I’ve heard that Mr. Gaiman’s works were amazing, filled with just the right feeling of horror and terror while having his own humorous, whimsical spin to it. So I was excited to start this and was sad to finish it. Just from the one sentence plot that I read: a boy is raised in a graveyard by ghosts, this book sold me. I didn’t know what to expect honestly since I’m not that big of a fan of the fantasy genre but Gaiman makes the fantasy genre his own genre entirely. If you think about it, this is a children’s novel yet it opens with a man who kills Bod’s entire family. Way to open up a children’s novel, right? But it’s this immediate action that makes the reader interested even if you’re someone who’s not into the fantasy genre. It’s something that Gaiman writes in such a chilling tone, you want to hide under the covers and pray that the hash-slinging-slasher isn’t out to get you (if you got this reference, you’re awesome). Then, as Bod meets all these other fantastical creatures (if you thought that Harry Potter had a bunch of magical creatures, so does The Graveyard Book). I mean, the whole concept might be a stretch to accept if you’re not into this kind of stuff but the way Mr. Gaiman writes, it just sinks you into the story.

Teaching Ideas:

As this is a children’s novel, I definitely would teach this to my class. I think it would be really fun to have the kids draw what the cemetery looks like in their minds. And what each of the characters look like. We can talk about Jack’s motivations and why he wants to kill Bod or why he even killed Bod’s family in the first place. As one reader on goodreads put it: “Neil Gaiman has a real knack for the imaginative combination of sweet and creepy elements together with the bittersweet ending, creating a unique and unforgettable story which appeals both to children and adults” and this is exactly why I would teach this book to my students.

Rating: 9/10

I hope you all enjoyed this book review. The next book review will be on… Death of a Superhero by Anthony McCarten!

Welcome to another book review. So most of you might not have heard of this book. I would have been one of you but I actually came across this book because it was made into a movie starring Anton Yelchin. And I made a post about his passing here. Still can’t believe he’s gone. Anyways, I don’t want to bum you guys out, I watched the movie and thought it was pretty interesting so I wanted to read the book. And here we are.

Fierce People tells the story of Finn Earl and his mother Liz who is a masseuse with a habit for cocaine. As Finn watches his mother struggle with her addiction, he turns his attention to the Yanomami Indians of the Amazon who he thinks are fascinating as his dad whom he’s never met who studied them. They live in the lower east side of New York City until Liz’s habit reaches its breaking point, she seeks sanctuary with one of her clients, aging billionaire Ogden C. Osborne. Less than twenty-four hours later, she and Finn are heading to the exclusive rural community of Vlyvalle, New Jersey. Osborne lives in this fancy resort with a bunch of rich people whom he introduces Liz and Finn to but social climbing is a blood sport. Soon, Finn is tangled in a web of secrets and betrayals so bizarre and so dangerous that getting out starts to look even harder than getting in.

Wittenborn’s writing is of a high standard as he weaves in many interesting observations and insights gleaned from his own experience growing up as poor (the son of a psychologist) in a very wealthy community. I loved the way Finn compared the “tribe” of the wealthy to the Yanomami Indians and how they form a tribe, it really solidified them more as a community. Wittenborn makes a clear message about greed, especially towards those who were born into a certain class, are born wealthy, etc. Even though the book is three-hundred+ pages, it’s a pretty quick read as the plot progresses quickly. Overall, Wittenborn writes in a way that is humorous, wild, unpredictable, and insightful. But there is a trigger warning that I have to give out, there is a rape scene in this novel, I’m going to tell you who gets raped obviously but it’s pretty brutal. Even in the movie, it was hard to watch so just watch out for that.

Teaching Ideas:

This novel is a bit of a stretch because it deals with some wild stuff that I don’t want to spoil so I’m honestly not even sure it’d be suitable for classroom settings. That said, I’m not sure it would be available in a school library but a public library? Possibly. But if I were to introduce this into a classroom setting, once again, the Osborne family is extensive so I might have the students do a family tree and have them analyze the effects of power and wealth and what that means to each character. And how does Finn fit into all of this? I’d also like to see an essay analyzing Finn’s comparison of the Yanomami Indians to the wealthy community they are a part of.

Rating: 8.5/10

I hope you all enjoyed this book review. The next book will be…. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman!

]]>https://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/2017/05/05/book-review-fierce-people-by-dick-wittenborn/feed/11383571865-369030sakura1134Book Review – We Were Liars by E. Lockharthttps://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/2017/05/05/book-review-we-were-liars-by-e-lockhart/
https://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/2017/05/05/book-review-we-were-liars-by-e-lockhart/#respondFri, 05 May 2017 20:36:30 +0000http://theintrovertedthespian.wordpress.com/?p=1344More Book Review – We Were Liars by E. Lockhart]]>Hello everyone,

I would first like to apologize for not updating my book reviews as frequently as I’d like to. I’ve been terribly busy with the semester ending and life has just been a whirlwind lately. But I have a treat, I will be doing the rest of my book reviews today, so expect an overload of book reviews — well, only six in total but still.

Lockhart, E. We Were Liars. Delacorte Press. 2014. 227 p. 038574126X.

Genre: Mystery/ Romance

Summary/ Analysis:

We Were Liars tells the story of a girl named Cadence Sinclair who recalls her summer and life before Summer Fifteen, which she spent on a private island owned by her grandparents. She spends her time with the “four liars” — including herself — her cousins Johnny and Miren and the boy who has captured her heart, Gat. However, Cadence can’t really remember much from Summer Fifteen. They found her on the beach seriously injured with burns but over the next two years, Cadence suffers from migraines and lives in a haze of amnesia. That is until she returns to the island where pieces of Summer Fifteen slowly return and she recovers a memory that was meant to be forgotten.

So I don’t want to spoil anything because the ending has a bit of a twist but a couple of my friends have told me this book was amazing. The librarian who I checked this book out from told me it was one of the best YA novels she’s ever read. So after such high praise, I went into it with high expectations… And it sort of met it, sort of didn’t. It was interesting to follow a character who had amnesia as you followed her through the book as she grasped pieces of the past but the overall big reveal wasn’t that shocking (at least to me) and it seemed too ramped up. And just a heads-up, it is told in the first person so you have an unreliable narrator. The book does serve as a cautionary tale that warns readers of the consequences of greed, hypocrisy, and racism. And some parts of the book are written

like this

so

if

that’s not

your thing

don’t read it.

I know I’m not giving much away but this is intentional since I’m sure there are others out there that want to read this book. And all my reviews are spoiler-free.

Teaching Ideas: This is once again one of those books that I think would be more appropriate for individual reading. However, I think it would be fun to assign a project to construct a family tree for the Sinclair family since Cadence does talk about her family. And because it is a mystery, students can construct a reading journal to record their thoughts and/or predictions of what’s going to happen. They can also draw what they think the island looks like so they are able to put their imagination on paper.

Rating: 7.5/10

I hope you all enjoyed this book review. The next book to be reviewed is…. Fierce People by Dick Wittenborn! Thanks for reading!

So let me start by saying that this book was not on my previous reading list. I have bumped a book I’ve already read for this book (sorry The Outsiders, I still love you!). I wanted to keep a list of books that I’ve never read before to keep the reviews going from a fresh perspective. Anyways, here we go!

Invisible tells the story of a boy named Doug Hanson who is a freak. The girl he likes calls him a worm and people in general just avoid him, except his best friend, Andy Morrow. Andy is the total opposite of Doug, he’s popular, a football star, and an overall nice guy. He calls Doug his best friend and Doug does the same. And they talk about everything together — except what happened at the Tuttle place years ago. When he’s not with Andy, Doug builds a model of a bridge based on the Golden Gate bridge for his huge model railroad, the Madham Line, filled with plastic people, fake trees, shrubs, etc.; this is the only place where he is able to escape. But when things get worse and the more “disturbed” Doug gets, Doug burrows deeper into his own world as hidden secrets come to light and they are no longer invisible. And Doug is no longer able to get a grip on reality.

I will just say this now. This book will give you feels. What is interesting about this book and what I really enjoyed but others might be confused about is that it’s told entirely from Doug’s perspective. When he’s confused, you’re confused and when he’s going out of his mind, you bet you are too. That being said, you must be aware that Doug is spiraling in a whirlwind that is out of his control and his sanity is up in the air. He is a teen struggling with mental illness but his specific mental illness is not addressed in this book. That’s up to you to figure out but I don’t think that’s really what’s very significant. One thing that was brought to my attention while reading this book was the lack of respect and significance that is brought upon a person once they are labeled as “unstable”, especially as a teenager. There are a number of times when Doug’s opinions are brushed aside or ignored when his parents are discussing what to do with his future and this made me think about how many teens are out there right now struggling with mental illness but are essentially “mute” in the ways that they express themselves. Their inner demons are able to take advantage of this and silence what they have to say or even the fact that they are struggling. What was also highlighted in this book was Doug’s therapist as she just noted certain things that Doug said that spoke about this mental condition and did not seem very convincing on a personal level. And she wrote him prescriptions when things got bad, hoping that his mental illness would become better without really seeking what Doug had to say about his experiences. And so what I didn’t expect was my complete empathy I was faced with after reading this book. I felt such empathy for Doug and his sufferings because no-one really cared what he had to say and as a reader going through the novel with him, his difficulties become your difficulties and the struggles he goes through feel personal. And so, in a sense, you feel invisible with him and when he’s with Andy, you see another side of Doug that isn’t really explored when he’s with his family or by himself. There is also a twist at the end that I kind of predicted but it still hit me hard nonetheless. I read some reviews on this book, which I don’t normally do but I was curious of other people’s thoughts. And some people were confused on some of Doug’s actions, the way he expresses himself, his thoughts, etc. and while he does have some questionable motives and thoughts, this all points back to his mental illness and also just the way he thinks. I realize that there’s a lot that I’m leaving out because there’s a lot that connects to the twist at the end, so I don’t want to spoil much! So, if you are interested in reading this book, be prepared to have an open mind, as you should while reading all books.

Teaching Ideas:

I would teach this book to a class to raise awareness for teen mental health because I know there’s a lot of kids who can relate to Doug and maybe those who cannot at all which is understandable too but I think this book also opens minds to the fact that there are people around them struggling with mental illness. I was thinking I would maybe incorporate how his model train and bridge reflect his mental health. There are moments in the book where Doug is drawing a sigil for Andy and himself and so I would also encourage students to draw their own sigil and create a specific meaning for it. And the class and I can talk about Doug’s mental illness and how this has shaped his perspective for so long.

Rating: 9/10

I hope you all enjoyed this book review. Next book to be reviewed is…. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart!

As promised, this is a post merely for fun but I hope you enjoy nonetheless. I will be going back to my book reviews after this post. About a month or two ago, I started watching a psychological thriller/horror show called Hannibal, created by Bryan Fuller, which was canceled in 2015 after running for three seasons. And I went through those three seasons fairly shortly (around two weeks) while juggling school. Now I don’t normally binge watch because I like to preserve the “specialness” of the show but for Hannibal, I tried to take it slow but then I realized I was watching it while doing homework and it basically spilled over into every facet of my life.

You’re probably wondering why I’m going on and on about this show so let me first tell you what it’s about. Going off on the title, Hannibal is the story of Thomas Harris’s character, cannibal Hannibal Lecter (played by the marvelous Mads Mikkelsen) and his relationship with FBI criminal profiler, Will Graham (played by the incredible Hugh Dancy). In this show, as Will Graham is able to re-enact the way a murder has taken place by imagining himself as the killer, this toys with his mind and he is placed under the care of the forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Hannibal Lecter, who helps him process what is going on in his head. If you’re not familiar with Harris’s novels or the Lecter movies, don’t worry, you can start on this show and be completely enthralled all the same (because this was me, don’t kill me). Now I’d like to argue that this show focuses more on Will Graham as the main character but you could say that Hannibal and Will are both leading protagonists (or antagonists). As for the show itself, I fell completely head-over-heels in love with its cinematography, acting (good God, Mikkelsen and Dancy work so well together), music (suspenseful as hell), and lighting. Since it’s a dark show, the lighting plays an important role in maintaining the overall eerie mood throughout.

There is a warning I would like to provide for those of you reading this. Since there is a fair amount of cannibalism but it is represented as what I like to call “classy cannibalism”, as Hannibal presents his dishes (of people) in such a way that Chef Gordon Ramsey would be pleased, there is that, so if you are uncomfortable with that, do not watch this show. Moreover, there is a large amount of gore in this show which I thought I could not take (I’ll admit, a few scenes I had to look away) but I was surprised when I could watch it (is Hannibal influencing me??) but there is a lot of blood, people getting impaled on things, ripped flesh, organs, etc. throughout the seasons, so viewer discretion is advised but don’t say I didn’t warn you!

While watching the show, I described it to my friends as “American Horror Story meets BBC Sherlock” and for a while it stuck true to this but as I kept watching the show, I realized that Hannibal became something completely of it’s own to me. I think as people we like to compare things and compartmentalize things and Hannibal was no exception for me but after finishing the third season and crying because it was over (although there might be something for us Fannibals in August, I’ve heard), I realized that Hannibal has truly carried it’s own for a show that is based on a series of novels and movies. And what surprised me even more was that not a lot of people have watched it. And I know there’s a bunch of sick freaks out there like me who like watching dark shows such as these (where are y’all?). Sure it’s about cannibalism but there’s so much more, the characters are enticing, the cat-and-mouse game is fascinating and just seeing these characters evolve and gain a sense of who they really are is amazing! So please, if you’re okay with all the main trigger warnings I’ve laid out, give this show a shot, even from the first episode, you’ll be under its influence. The trailer for the first season is found below!

I hope these book reviews are helping you decide which books to read but don’t take my word for it. Even the books I didn’t like, you might love them, so take a risk and read some books! You never know which ones are keepers.

Everything, Everything tells the story of a girl named Madeline (Maddy) who has SCID, a disease that makes Maddy allergic to the world. She has never stepped foot outside, she lives with air filters, and a nurse who takes care of her when Maddy’s mother works. The only people she is in daily contact with is her mother and her nurse, until a family moves next door, a family that includes a boy named Oliver (Olly). As they learn more about each other through window pantomimes, IM messages, and emails, it becomes clear to Maddy that Olly will be the biggest risk she will ever take in her life.

I hope I’m getting better with summaries. My head feels like it’s going to explode when I write summaries: ‘But what about this part?’ ‘No, I can’t tell them about that, it’s a spoiler!’ I get too excited and wonder how I can cram a book into a summary when there’s so much to be said. Anyways, I will begin by saying this: it was not difficult at all transforming myself into a 17 or 18-year-old again, since it was practically just last year while reading this novel. Needless to say, this book was adorable and I could feel myself laughing and blushing since Olly was introduced to the last pages. Now while this book has its similarities to The Fault in Our Stars, it’s also completely different but still your average YA romance novel that is written beautifully. Yoon’s use of imagery allows the reader to feel as if they are in the same room as the characters and are able to view intimate settings and events being played out. The characters were vibrant and alive and it was thrilling to see a relationship as unique as this one grow. Now, I will say this, this book is meant for the Dreamers. You know who you are. For the Thinkers, you might enjoy this book as well but might find some problems with it and might question the actions of certain characters. Now, I believe I’m more of a Dreamer so while I had my doubts, they were swept up in the moment. For those of you wondering if this is a “cry your eyes out” novel like TFIOS, the answer is no. That is the only spoiler I will ever give away because sometimes you start a novel not wanting to shed any tears and then before you know it, you’re near the end of the book bawling your eyes out. But, there is a twist at the end that is pretty unpredictable.

Teaching Ideas:

Once again, I would deem this book acceptable for individual reading. It’s one of those intimate books that you need to read alone in your room (so you can blush all you want without feeling embarrassed). Reading level would be the same as If I Stay. I think the main discussion we could have as a class after a short explanation is if the choice Maddy makes is logical. Not if it’s right or wrong but if it is logical and understandable. We can track back to certain characters’ discussions to see if they were in their right state of mind or not. I would be curious as to my student’s responses since this novel is very much a character-driven novel. But I don’t think this book would be right to teach, it’s more to be read for entertainment purposes.

Rating: 8/10

Now that my spring break is over (cue crying), I will not be able to do book reviews consistently but I will be doing other updates for this blog. Things I’ve been obsessed with, movie reviews, some book reviews scattered here and there, etc. Thank you for reading!